A series of solar air-conditioning systems have been put into operation in the Solar Energy Centre at Gual Pahari Village in Gurgaon, India, dramatically decreasing the carbon footprint of the building.

Thirteen key rooms in the research centre have had solar air-conditioning units installed, running on energy collected by 288 sq m of solar panels on the building’s roof. The solar radiation generates 60kW of pressurised hot water which in turn creates cold water which is circulated through a fan coil unit in each of the 13 rooms.

Director and Scientist at the Solar Energy Center, S. K. Sinha, explained: “Middle-income households in Delhi are increasingly switching over to AC’s from coolers. All offices have air-conditioners. We are trying to bring down the use of conventional air-conditioners. The solar air-conditioner was installed last year and this is the first time we are using it.”